A father and son team believed to have been targeting elderly people with a car dent repair scam are now in the King County Jail facing a number of charges.
The two are a con artist team with a long history of operating along the Interstate 5 corridor between Seattle and Portland. The scam would involve the father and son targeting an elderly person, usually in a parking lot of a store. They would point out something on that person’s car that was in need of “repair.” The suspects would then apply primer paint or wax to the spot in question. The suspects would then tell the victim that they, the suspects, could buff it off later or they might make arrangements for the victim to meet them later at a fictious repair shop. Often, the victim would feel intimidated and provide the suspects money for the “repair.” There are reports of victims losing $400, $500, or $700 for “repairs” to their cars.
A Seattle Police detective had been assigned this case after there were several reports of this scam happening here in Seattle since January. The suspects were identified and it was determined that they were using a rental car. Yesterday, the detective contacted the rental company and requested that they contact him when the suspects returned the car. The rental company called, and the detective notified Burien Police who arrested the duo on their outstanding warrants. The suspects, ages 46 and 26 could face additional charges as the Prosecutor’s Office investigates further.